Closer to Home
by Loren
Summary: A response to Malice Shaw's "What If" challenge. About a young Ellone and Squall.


Boring Legal Disclaimer: Squaresoft owns FF8. I don't. *sadful sigh*  
  
  
Warning: The rating for this fic is between PG-13 to R. If you are offended, I apologize. This was a 'What If' challenge I took up from Malice Shaw. In the condition Squall and Ellone are in, they aren't safe from anything. If you are bothered by the content, please do not read further. Thank you.   
  
  
What if...   
Squall never went to Edea's orphanage?  
by Loren  
  
  
  
She hunched the sponge back onto the filthy tavern floor, and began scrubbing again while the drunk man escorted himself out of the bar. The reeking odor of spilt liquor didn't overwhelm Ellone anymore. She had become accustomed to it overtime, and she had pushed her anger back. She had just spent an hour and a half cleaning the floor, and some bastard just carelessly threw his old glass beer bottle on the ground. Ellone was supposed to be home with Squall by now, with a petty paycheck just enough to pay for some food.   
  
  
Distracted by her thoughts, she felt a bitter prick in the palm of her hand. A glossy shard of glass had pressed into the once soft skin. Alarmingly red blood slowly rolled off the glass. She leapt up, hurrying and held it under the sink. Another tinge of pain ached when she pulled the edge out of her palm. The late-night customers eyed her suspiciously as she went back to work.   
  
  
How long has it been? Ellone wondered. Squall would turn nine in a few weeks. She wanted to get him the gift of his father, to travel to Esthar and be a family once again. It was her original plan, ever since Raine died. Ellone had fled Winhill with the small tot, eager to make it Fisherman's Horizon to Esthar city where Laguna stayed. Her plan was spoiled when she discovered train tickets were far more expensive than she imagined, and walking to Esthar was too dangerous. She wouldn't risk Squall getting hurt. She would wait.  
  
  
So this had become her life at age thirteen. There were no orphanages she could find for shelter. She worked, doing a range of janitorial work to babysitting. Mostly her pay revolved around this bar, as an assistant. She would ordinary clean, or run errands for the owner. Ellone had done well with how limited work a girl her age was allowed to do. She had a little apartment above the tavern, courtesy of the owner who pitied the two children. The owner also feared that he'd be suspected by the government of harboring children beyond the government's knowledge. And there was once a search for a young girl who possessed something the countries of the world were obviously interested in. That's why Galbadia had passed a law forbidding citizens to harbor unregistered children. He could easily turn the two in and save himself, but he felt as if Ellone had a secret, and if it was uncovered, that would be the end for her and her little brother. He couldn't bring himself to do that because they'd be torn away from each other to, what only Hyne knows what the President Deling would do with them. Would Timber suffer also more?  
  
  
People had arrived and the owner had to step out to talk with them. He nodded to Ellone to take charge. She didn't have many orders for drinks to take, it was very late and most of the customers had staggered off except for the few.   
  
  
The owner was taking forever to get back. There was all but two people left: one unconscious, one still drinking flamboyantly.  
  
  
" Excuse me sir, but the tavern's closing up soon. If you're going to order one more drink, it'll have to be the last," she stated politely.  
  
  
" Ya look a little young to be a bartender," the drunk rolled his lush eyes.  
  
  
" The owner will be back in a moment. I'm covering for him," Ellone explained. " So, is that your last drink or not?"  
  
  
" Come here," he tossed his hand backward. " How old are you?"  
  
  
Ellone stayed her distance. " I guess you won't be having any more drinks. Thanks for coming, have a nice night, sir."  
  
  
The man refused to leave.   
  
  
" You have to go. We're closing down. And can you please take him out with you?" she jerked her head towards the unconscious one.   
  
  
The man ignored her, and take another sip of his drink.  
  
  
" The owner's right outside, talking. You can take your quarrel to him," Ellone made a few steps towards him. Closer than she realized, he suddenly grabbed her arm. She opened her mouth to scream, but his other hand blocked her voice.   
  
  
" Hush," he chuckled, amused.  
  
  
Ellone struggled and bit deep into his hand covering her mouth, but the drunkard didn't feel it at all. She was weak against him. He pulled her closer, and kissed her cheek roughly. Ellone could smell the foul stench of alcohol, and pushed away as much as she could. But to no avail. He stood up, heading for the backdoor out to the alley, dragging her along as she kicked and hit him with all her might.   
  
  
He pulled her onto the filthy ground, occasionally blurting out a few undecipherable babbles. Yanking at her clothes as he kissed her neck, she found the opportunity to kick him hard. The man felt that pain and released her. She broke free and ran for the backdoor. She stumbled over something like metal on the ground, and began to scream for help when she fell. It was cut off by the man catching up to her. Warm tears draped down her cheeks. She wasn't going to get away, but she tried to wrestle from him anyway. She almost broke away, but his frustrated fist met her delicate face. Again and again.   
  
  
A little boy wandered downstairs into the empty tavern, looking for a drink of water. He heard a cry from out back. Squall peeked out the backdoor. In the dark, he saw the movement of figures.   
  
  
" Ellie?" he called out, frightened. " Is that you?"  
  
  
The figures froze, and a man, with a glassy-eyed look descended closer to the light. Squall didn't recognize this man, and fear crept more to his heart. Suddenly he saw his dear sister by the wall, with a bloody face, crumpled like a rag doll. He heard her sobbing.   
  
  
Squall shivered as the man slowly approached him closer and closer. " Ellie? Sis?"  
  
  
Ellone struggled to sit up, almost crippled. " Squall? ... Run."  
  
  
Squall's fear had made her order true. He ran out to the front where the owner was, wailing as if it was bloody murder. The owner picked him up as he hysterically tried to explain what he saw. That his 'Sis' was in trouble because of a bad man.  
  
  
He told Squall to stay put with the people he was conversing with, and to call the police quick. The owner rushed in time to see the man returning to Ellone. He grabbed the shotgun he kept behind the bar table.  
  
  
He aimed. " Get the hell away from her, you fucking bastard!"  
  
  
The drunk turned to put his arms up, with surprising enough reason to fear an angry man with a loaded gun.   
  
  
" Put that gun down, and I'll surrender m'self," he demanded densely. The owner kept his target accurately.  
  
  
" Surrender or I'll blow your twisted head off!" The owner threatened.  
  
  
The drunk stood close to where the girl laid, and a shiny glint of silver sparkled against the light from the tavern. He wield a blade.  
  
  
Squall rushed into the tavern, breaking away from the concerned couple. He didn't understand what was going on. He just knew his 'Sis was hurt.   
  
  
It was the little boy running to Ellone's side that broke the standoff. He clung on to her, bawling and begging her to tell him if she was alright.   
  
  
–  
  
Ellone sat up on the hospital cot, her face still aching with the bruises. Squall slept, curled up on the foot of the bed, with drowsy eyes that had cried all through the night.  
  
  
It was fortune that the worst injury that came out of this was her sore appearance. Little did Squall know, it was him that was her guardian angel. If he had not heard her call, she would be in a lot worse trouble now, or dead even. Still she kicked herself for not being more careful. Griever, her mother's GF was laying upstairs. What would have happened to her brother if she was killed? Where would he go? Who would take care of him and tell him he did belong to a family who would care so deeply about him?   
Ellone knew it wouldn't be long before an officer visited her room and asked her questions that she obviously couldn't answer. Timber was ruled by Deling, and even though the old war was over, that didn't mean she would ever be safe. Not until she was with Uncle Laguna. He'd protect her and Squall. Perhaps their survival depended on leaving Timber. It was a dangerous risk to walk to Fisherman's Horizon, but at least they were pacifist. It'd still bring them closer to the hidden Esthar.   
  
  
Closer to going home.   
  
  
  



End file.
